Shoe last



G. CLAUSING June 22, 1948.

SHOE LAST Filed Jan. 17, 1947 Patented June 22, 1948 UNITED sTATl-:s- PATENT OFFICE SHOE LAST George Clausng, Portsmouth, Ohio, assignor to Vulcan Corporation, Portsmouth, Ohio Application January 17, 1947, Serial No. 722,557

Claims.-

panded position, so that said parts may be readily collapsed for removal of the finished shoe therefrom.

The invention is illustrated in conjunction with the type of shoe last disclosed in my Patent No. 2.065,655 issued December 29, 1936, wherein expansion of the last occurs along a straight line and the last parts are locked in expanded position by the overcenter position of a toggle means pivota'lly connected to each last part. In practice considerable difficulty has been experienced in tripping or releasing the lock for this type of last because the lock is inaocessibly positioned between the last parts and is also removed to the interior part of the last to precludeiits contact with the shoe. Furthermore the lock maintains the last parts in expanded condition against considerable compressive forces set 'up in the parts by the longitudinal stretching of the shoe on the last and this force makes it difii'cult to readily trip the last lock even thoug'h a suitable releasing tool is used in the prescrlbed manner.

It is therefore another object of the invention to provide in a shoe last having relatively expansible fore and heel parts a positive device for Operating a lock means which releasably holds the parts in expanded position, said device being readily accessilole through the top of one of the said last parts.

Another object of the invention is to provide in an expansible shoe last a novel release means for a toggle lock that is adapted to maintain the last parts in expanded position, said release means being operable through a jack post receiving opening formed in one last part.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a shoe last having relatively expansible parts that are field in expanded position by a pivoted lock means, a novel lock release means which is pivoted to one last part and has a free end eX- 2 panded condition, parts being broken away to di'sclose the Operating parts therefor- Fig. 2 is an e'levational view of the shoe last similar to that of Fig. 1 showing the last in collapsed position.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental, top planview of the shoe last.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the shoe last in operative position upon a shoe jack, the shoe being removed therefrom. i

The last compri'ses a fore part 5 and a heel part 6 mounted on a pair of spaced, longitudinally extending guide rods 1 and 8 for relative expansible movement. As illustrated in the drawings the guide rods 'l and 8 are anchored by any suitable means 'in the heel part ,Bi and are received in longitudinally extending bores 9 and w respectively formed in the fore part 5.

A suitablelock means connects the parts 5 and 6 of the last and prefera'bly takes the form of a toggle having at least one member l2 pivoted to the heel part 6 by a transverse pin 13 anchored in the said part. The member is positioned for rocking movement in a suitable rout Ill formed x centrally in the heel part. The forward end of the member |2 is p'ivotally connected between links |5 and 16 by a transverse pin ll, the free ends of said links being pivotally connected to the fore part of the last by transverse pin {8. The links 15 and IS are positioned for pivotal movement within a rout |9 formed in the fore part said rout having a transverse dimension just 'wide enough to permit free movement of said links therein. The last parts -are locked in the expanded position iilustrated in Fig. 1 by the over center position ofthe member |2 and links I 5 and IE whereby upon compressive forces being exerted on the last parts the lock parts will be forced against the bottom's of the routs l'i'and I!! to preclude collapse of the parts.

The adjacent Vertical faces 26 and El of the last parts 5 and '6 respectively have formed therein complementary arcuate recesses 22 and 23 which form an expanding tool receiving recess when the last is in contractedposition illustrated in Fig. 2. U i

In the above device which is old I provide a novel means for releasing the lock ll When said lock is operative to hold the parts in their `expanded position. To this end I provide an opening 24 formed preferably in the heel part of the last and extending vertically into said part from the top 25 thereof. The bottom portion of the opening comrnunicates with the rear portion of the rout |4 and as most clearly illustrated in Fig.

3 4 said opening serves also as a jack post receiving recess for supporting the last in operative position whilst carrying out shoe making cperations thereon.

A release means is associated With at least one pivoted member of the lock l l and preferably takes the form of an arm e integrally formed on the rear part of the member E2 and extending beyond the lock means in a longitudinal direction and into the bottom portion of the opening 2% for rocking movement in the direction of the longitudinal climension of said opening.

As illustrated in Fig. 4 the jack post 21 for supporting my last upon a suitable Work piece has a shoulder 28 formed thereon which contacts the top surface 25 of the heel 'part and holds the upper end of the post out of contact with the release arm 26 for the lock. p

In operation therefor my last is moved; to the collapsed position indicated in Fig. 2 before it is inserted in an unfinished shoe. A suitable tool 29 is then inserted in the opening formed by the recesses 22 and 23 and upon endwise pressure being exerted thereon said tool expands the'toggle and moves the last parts to their expanded position indi'catedin Fig. 1 Wherein the toggle maintains the parts in said 'position against the compressive forces made by the expansion 'of the shoe by the last. The last is then mounted upon the jack 21 in the position illustrated' in Fig. 4 and the shoe making steps are then performed on the unfmished shoe. Thereafter the last is removed from the jack post and a suitable tool 3% inserted in the jack receiving opening 2d of the' last and upon the exertion of a suitable end- Wise force on the tool the lock release arm 26 Will be moved downwardly thereby rocking the member 12 on its pivot |3 and moving the lock beyond dead center. The last parts may then be moved to their collapsed position, illustrated in Fig. 2, for the removal of the finished shoe and for its insertion into the next unfinished shoe.

What is iclaimed is:

1. A shoe last comprising relatively expansible fore and heel parts, a pivoted lock means for securing the last parts in expanded position, an opening formed in one last part, and a releasing arm extending from the lock means into the opening. i

2. A shoe last comprising relatively expansible fore and heel parts, a pivoted lock connected to each last part for maintaining said parts in, expanded position, an opening formed in one last part, and a lock release means pivotally connected to the said part and extending beyond the lock into the said opening.

3. A shoe last comprising relatively expansible fore and heel parts, a pivoted lock connected to said last parts and adapted to maintain said parts in expanded position, an opening formed in one last part, and a release arm fixed to the lock and extending into the said opening.

4. A shoe last' comprising relatively expansible fore and heel parts, a lock means for securing VVsaid last parts in expandedrposition andhaving atleast one member pivotally mounted in one last part, an opening formed in said last part, and a release arm fiXed to the member and eX- tending into said opening.

5. A shoe last comprising relatively expansible fore and heel parts, a lock means for securing said last 'parts in expanded position and having at least one member pivotally mounted in one last part, a jack post receiving opening formed in said last part, and a release arm fixed to the member and extending into| said opening.

6. A shoe last comprising relatively expansible fore, and heel parts, a lock means for securing saidA last parts` in expanded position and having at least one member pivotally mounted in one last part, a jack 'post receiving opening formed in said last part, and a release arm fixed to the member and extending into the opening for reciprocating' movement therein in the longitudinal direction of the opening.

'7, A shoe last comprising relatively expansible fore and heel parts, a lock means for securing saidlast parts in expanded position and having at least one member mounted for rocking movement in one last part, a jack post receiving openmg formed in' said last part, and a release arm fixed to. thev member and extending into the opening for reciprocating movement therein in the lngitudfnal direction of the opening.

8. A longitudifnally expansible shoe last comprising relatively7 movable fore and heel parts, guide means' connecting said parts andA positioned longitudina'lly of the last, a toggle means for securing said last parts in expanded position, a jack post receiv'ing opening formed in onel'ast part, and a release armed fixed to the togg'le andextending into the opening for reei'procating movement therein in the longitudinal direction of the opening.

9. A longitudinaliy expansible shoe last comprsin'g relatively movable fore and heel parts, guide means connecting said parts and positioned longitudi-nally of the last, a pair of links freely pivoted together at one of their ends and at their other ends pivoted respectvely to the fore and heel parts, a jack post receiving opening formed in one last part, and a release arm fixed toione link and extending in-to said opening for reeiprocating movement therein in the longitudinal direction, of)V the opening.

ll. A longitudinall'y expansible shoe last comprising relatively movable fore and heel parts, guide means connecting said parts and positioned Iongitudinally of the last, a pair of links freely pivoted together at one of their ends and at their free ends pivoted respectively to the fore and heel parts, a jack post receiving opening formed in ene last part, a release arm formed on the free end of one link and extending in a longitudinal direction beyond said link and into the bottom of the jack post opening.

GEORGE CLAUSING.

REFERENCES CITEB The following references are of record in the filev of this patent:

Kamborian Sept. 16, 1947 

